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Harry Kane celebrates. Alamy Stock Photo
EURO VIEW

Injury scare for Kane after he breaks 60-year record, Vinicius stars for leaders Real Madrid

The England striker now has most goals in a debut season after finding net in 5-2 win at Darmstadt.

LAST UPDATE | 16 Mar

BAYERN MUNICH SPORTING director Christoph Freund said he was unsure if Harry Kane would play during the international break after injuring his ankle.

Kane, who scored today to extend his league goal tally to 31 this season, was subbed off late in Bayern’s 5-2 win over Darmstadt after clattering into the goalpost while trying to reach a ball.

Freund said Bayern were “in close coordination” with England about Kane and told reporters the striker “will take no risks” with injury.

England play friendlies against Brazil and Belgium this week. Bayern’s next match is at home to Borussia Dortmund on 30 March.

Bayern manager Thomas Tuchel said after the game he “hoped the incident was just a scary moment.”

“He slipped and fell into the net and twisted his ankle. He’s cooling it down with ice and we don’t have a diagnosis yet.

“When Harry goes off it’s never a good sign because Harry never goes off when there’s still goals to score.”

Kane today broke a 60-year record for most goals in a debut season while Jamal Musiala scored twice as Bayern Munich won 5-2 at Darmstadt in the Bundesliga today.

With 31 goals in 26 league games since arriving from Spurs in the summer, Kane overtook German legend Uwe Seeler, who scored 30 goals for Hamburg in 1963-64.

Musiala also had an assist in the win, which keeps Bayern’s slim hopes of defending the Bundesliga title alive, moving them seven points behind Bayer Leverkusen, who play at Freiburg tomorrow.

Darmstadt stunned Bayern after 28 minutes, Tim Skarke taking advantage of some sleepy defence from Eric Dier to score and give the home side hope of an incredible upset against the German champions.

Kane would however drag Bayern into the lead before half-time, assisting Musiala’s 36th-minute goal before scoring one of his own, rising high to head in a Joshua Kimmich chip in first-half stoppage time.

Musiala added another midway through the second half when he collected a Thomas Mueller throw-in and danced through the box before shooting between the goalkeeper’s legs.

As he did last week, Serge Gnabry scored moments after coming off the bench to seal the win.

Bayern’s Mathys Tel and Darmstadt’s Oscar Vilhelmsson both scored in stoppage time.

Vinicius Junior struck twice to earn Real Madrid a commanding 10 point lead at the top of La Liga in a 4-2 rout of Osasuna on Saturday.

The Brazilian forward mesmerised for Los Blancos and reached 18 goals across all competitions this season, while Dani Carvajal and Brahim Diaz also found the net in an entertaining romp for Carlo Ancelotti’s side.

Girona, second, visit Getafe later Saturday, while third-place Barcelona, 11 points behind Madrid, travel to face Atletico Madrid on Sunday.

Madrid were without top goalscorer Jude Bellingham, completing a two-match suspension but, with Vinicius in full flow, barely missed the England international at El Sadar in Pamplona.

The 23-year-old dispossessed Alejandro Catena, who was dawdling on it, ran through and calmly rolled the ball past Sergio Herrera to break the deadlock after four minutes.

Osasuna were quickly back level through Ante Budimir, who finished from close range after Jorge Herrando nodded a corner back into his path.

Madrid captain Carvajal put his side in front again in the 18th minute, finishing sublimely with the outside of his boot after Fede Valverde cleverly hooked the ball into his path in the box.

Vinicius was booked just before half-time for dissent, his fifth yellow card of the season in La Liga — meaning he is now banned for Athletic Bilbao’s visit to the Santiago Bernabeu at the end of March.

Diaz stretched Madrid’s lead after an hour with a clinical finish after running on to a long ball was flicked on by Valverde. Vinicius grabbed his second a few minutes later with a subtle poked finish after Valverde sent him hurtling in on goal — his 12th league goal of the season.

Iker Munoz pulled one back for Osasuna in stoppage time, but it was too little, too late for Jagoba Arrasate’s side.

– © AFP 2024

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